Extremely Ornate Ceramic Skulls by Katsuyo Aoki

Artist Katsuyo Aoki primarily uses ceramics to create her sculptural work. However, the ceramic is more than simply a material he uses to build the work. The clean white color resembles old sun bleached bones, perfect for the pieces’ skull like shapes. Aoki also relies on the the historical language and connotations of the material. The extremely ornate ceramic is reminiscent of keepsakes, knick-knacks, and home furnishings of a well decorated home. These light weight associations are juxtaposed against the existential heaviness of the object’s shape: a human skull. In her statement Aoki relates the contrasting feelings he intends her work to inspire: “Their existence in the present age makes us feel many things; adoration, some sort of romantic emotions, a sense of unfruitfulness and languor from their excessiveness and vulgarity. And on the other hand, they make us feel tranquility and awe that can almost be described as religious, as well as an image as an object of worship.” Aoki was also featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 21 – check it out here.